20+ Senior Support Engineer Interview Questions and Answers

Troubleshooting various technical issues in a support role

• For a process hanging, check the system logs and identify the process causing the issue. Use tools like strace or lsof to identify the root cause.

• For slow system performance, check CPU, memory, and disk usage. Use tools like top, iostat, and vmstat to identify the bottleneck.

• For network latency issues, use tools like ping, traceroute, and tcpdump to identify the source of the latency.

• For cluster failover issues, check ...read more

Answering questions on Git, Mercurial, Linux/Windows services, Java thread dump, heap dump, and deadlock

• Git and Mercurial are both version control systems, but Git is more popular and has a steeper learning curve

• Merge conflicts occur when two or more people make changes to the same file at the same time, and can be resolved using tools like Git's merge tool or Mercurial's merge tool

• Starting services in Linux can be done using the systemctl command, while in Windows it can be ...read more

Answering questions related to daily tasks, inode, symlink, hardlink, SSH, root password reset, Apache troubleshooting, software installation, Linux VM configuration, port checking and changing, and monitoring tools.

• Daily tasks may include troubleshooting technical issues, providing support to customers, and maintaining systems.

• Inode is a data structure in a Unix-like file system that stores metadata about a file.

• Symlink is a shortcut to a file or directory, while hardlink is...read more

To switch between shipping methods in ATG during checkout, update the shipping group with the new method.

• Update the shipping group with the new shipping method

• Use the CommerceItemManager to update the shipping method for the CommerceItem

• Ensure the new shipping method is available for the user to select during checkout

Firewall filters network traffic based on predefined security rules, while router forwards data packets between computer networks.

• Firewall acts as a barrier between internal network and external network, filtering incoming and outgoing traffic based on security rules.

• Router forwards data packets between different computer networks, determining the best path for the packets to reach their destination.

• Firewall can block specific ports or IP addresses to prevent unauthorized acc...read more

VPC stands for Virtual Private Cloud, it is needed to securely isolate resources within the cloud environment.

• VPC allows you to create a private network in the cloud.

• It provides control over network settings such as IP address range, subnets, route tables, and network gateways.

• VPC helps in securing resources by setting up security groups and network access control lists.

• It enables you to connect your on-premises network to the cloud using VPN or Direct Connect.

• VPC is essentia...read more

Migration of projects from server to cloud involves planning, testing, and executing the transfer of data and applications.

• Assess the current server setup and identify all projects and data to be migrated

• Choose a suitable cloud provider and plan the migration process

• Test the migration process with a small project before moving larger ones

• Ensure data security and compliance during the migration

• Update any necessary configurations and settings post-migration

Files in SSIS can be iterated using Foreach Loop Container or Script Task.

• Use Foreach Loop Container to iterate through a list of files in a specified directory.

• Set the Enumerator type to 'Foreach File Enumerator' and configure the necessary properties like file extension, file path, etc.

• Alternatively, use a Script Task to programmatically iterate through files and perform custom actions.

Yes, I have experience with the network monitoring tool SolarWinds.

• Experience with setting up alerts and notifications

• Ability to monitor network performance and troubleshoot issues

• Familiarity with creating custom dashboards and reports

GSK is a multinational pharmaceutical company known for its research and development of innovative medicines and vaccines.

• GSK stands for GlaxoSmithKline

• It is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world

• GSK focuses on research and development of medicines, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products

• Some well-known products from GSK include Advair, Sensodyne, and Panadol

A load balancer is a device or software that distributes network or application traffic across multiple servers to ensure no single server is overwhelmed.

• Balances traffic across multiple servers

• Improves performance and reliability

• Can be hardware or software based

• Examples: F5 BIG-IP, NGINX, HAProxy

A stack is a data structure that follows the Last In, First Out (LIFO) principle, where elements are added and removed from the top.

• Elements are added to the top of the stack and removed from the top as well

• Common operations on a stack include push (add element) and pop (remove element)

• Examples of stacks include the call stack in programming and a stack of plates

Checkpoint in SSIS is a feature that allows packages to restart from a specific point in case of failure.

• Checkpoints are used to save the state of the package at specific points during execution.

• They help in resuming package execution from the last successful checkpoint in case of failure.

• Checkpoints can be configured at the package level or at the task level.

• They are useful in scenarios where long-running packages need to be restarted without re-executing the entire process.

DNS server is a system that translates domain names to IP addresses, allowing users to access websites using human-readable names.

• DNS servers store a database of domain names and their corresponding IP addresses.

• When a user enters a domain name in a web browser, the DNS server is queried to find the corresponding IP address.

• DNS servers help in the efficient routing of internet traffic by translating domain names to IP addresses.

• Examples of popular DNS servers include Google D...read more

Jira project configuration involves setting up workflows, issue types, fields, permissions, and notifications.

• Define issue types (e.g. bug, task, story)

• Create custom fields to capture specific information

• Set up workflows to define the lifecycle of an issue

• Configure permissions to control who can view and edit issues

• Manage notifications to keep stakeholders informed

Synchronized block is used in Java to control access to critical sections of code by allowing only one thread to execute the block at a time.

• Synchronized block is used with the 'synchronized' keyword in Java.

• It can be used to synchronize access to shared resources to prevent race conditions.

• Example: synchronized(this) { // critical section code }

SSIS expressions are used to dynamically set property values at runtime in SQL Server Integration Services packages.

• SSIS expressions are written using a combination of functions, operators, and constants.

• Expressions can be used to set properties such as connection strings, file paths, and SQL queries.

• Expressions can be used to make packages more flexible and reusable.

• For example, an expression can be used to dynamically set the file path for a file connection manager based on...read more

API process is a set of rules and protocols used to create and integrate software applications.

• API process allows different software applications to communicate with each other and share data.

• It helps in creating a seamless integration between different systems.

• API process can be used to automate tasks and improve efficiency.

• Examples of APIs include Google Maps API, Twitter API, and Facebook API.

The sign-in flow for Teams involves entering email address, password, and two-factor authentication if enabled.

• Enter email address

• Enter password

• Enter two-factor authentication code if enabled

• Click on 'Sign In' button